


Icepick

by Dendritic_Trees



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Brainwashing, Electroconvulsive Therapy, Gen, Hydra, Lobotomy, No Concrit Please, Non-Consensual Violence, Torture, historical figures, medical violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 23:01:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3587289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dendritic_Trees/pseuds/Dendritic_Trees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hydra requires control of its assets.  The transorbital lobotomy has had great success  in producing compliance in those who will not otherwise obey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Icepick

“Ah, Dr. Freeman, so glad you could join us,” said Dr. Zola.  He didn’t like the American.  The man was loud.  He was flashy.  He wanted his name in the newspapers.  This was not, in general, conducive to Hydra’s larger and more crucial goals.  But needs must. “Dr Moniz has been unavailable since his – injuries – and his – your expertise is crucial for my project.”

Dr. Freeman nodded genially.  “Oh of course.  Happy to help.  And I must say, all your little hints sound tantalizing.  This must be quite some project.  I’m almost upset I haven’t heard about this before.”

“Well,” said Dr. Zola, forcing a smile and passing over the file, “you understand, the need to control this information, I’m sure.”

Dr. Freeman leafed through Dr. Zola’s notes and smiled.  “Yes, I’m beginning to see why you would.  But perhaps not for much longer.  My procedure has achieved some measure of popularity.  And Dr. Moniz has certainly done well for himself.  Or have you convinced the Nobel committee of the value of Hydra’s good work?”

The man was still a show-off.  But perhaps he wasn’t quite as bad as he came off.  “I’m afraid not,” said Dr. Zola, “but perhaps you’re right.  Perhaps people are coming to understand the value of control.”  He turned to lead Dr. Freeman into the facility. 

 

The subject was rocking in the corner of his cell when they arrived.

“Soldier!” said Dr. Zola. 

He had to repeat it twice more, to get the subject’s attention.  And he snarled when he looked up.

“Stand up,” said Dr. Zola.

The subject withdrew further into the corner of his cell and snarled again, but didn’t speak.  After two more failed attempts to force compliance, Zola gave up and motioned to two agents to remove the subject from his cell. 

Dr.  Freeman watched Dr. Zola wrangle his stroppy subject and leafed through the files he’d been given in silence.  “So you’ve been using electroshock?” he asked, as he watched the agents wrestle the struggling subject onto the exam table and strap him down.  “Yes,” said Dr. Zola.  “A great improvement upon the old insulin shock.  It has been quite effective for removing the majority of his extraneous thoughts and impulses, but as you can see, we continue having issues producing the desired level of compliance.  And your method has produced such excellent results in that regard.”

“Do you use the electroshock regularly?” Asked Dr. Freeman.

Zola rolled his eyes, “the details of the schedule are on the forth page of the documentation,” he noted, “some augmentations have been made to the subjects’ regenerative capacities, and we’ve found that some periodic upkeep is required.”

"That will save us the trouble of anaesthetic.  I have performed this procedure on patients following electroshock many times, and the depth of unconsciousness produced has never been insufficient.  Unless that has also been altered by your augmentations?” Dr. Freeman asked.  He looked peeved, as though some of Dr. Zola’s best work was an inconvenience to him.  Arrogant man.

“No, you will have time to complete your work.”  Zola reassured him and motioned for the technicians to begin setting up the electroshock apparatus.  

“Excellent,” said Dr. Freeman.  “Although if the subject really does have an enhanced capacity for healing there may be regeneration of the white matter fibres, in which case this procedure will also have to be repeated.”

He really was an annoying man. But a valuable one.  His techniques would be of great value to Hydra, regardless of their potential for perfecting his Asset.  And if they could give him real control of the Hydra’s Asset, then he would be more than worth his irritating personality.

“Well if your procedure is as straight-forward as you have repeatedly claimed it is, I’m sure that repeating it will pose no trouble.” Dr. Zola said.

“The procedure is ready to begin, Doctor Zola,” said the technician, and he nodded for them to proceed.

The subject made enough noise during electroshock as to render conversation impossible, but Dr. Freeman at least made efficient use of the time by laying out and sterilizing his instruments.

“As you can see,” Dr. Freeman explained, peeling one of the subject’s eyelids back, once he was safely uconscious, “the orbitoclast can simply be inserted –“ he slid the narrow rod into the subject’s eye socket, between his eye and the upper edge of the orbital bone, “like so, removing the need for a surgical incision.”

“Yes, I have read your publications Doctor, I am aware of the details.” Zola cut in, to spare himself the narration.

The procedure was as tidy as promised, Dr. Freeman pushed the orbitoclast through the thin bone at the back of the orbit with a neat tap of the mallet levered the handle up, withdrew and turned it, and then spun it with a neat flick of the wrist so the tip was pointed towards the subject’s temple, to cut through the tissue on the other side. It only took a couple of minutes.

“If the procedure will have to be repeated, perhaps you would like to try, on the other side,” Dr. Freeman offered, holding out the orbitoclast and the mallet. 

“Yes,” said Dr. Zola, “I think that would be best.”  He accepted the tools in one hand, and tilted the subject’s head to expose the unoperated side with the other.

The orbital bone broke with very little resistance. 

“Pivot that up a little more, a full forty-five degrees,” Dr. Freeman corrected at one point, but otherwise, it was a simple enough.

 

“Inform me when the subject regains consciousness.” Dr. Zola instructed his technicians while he washed his hands.  “Dr. Freeman, there is coffee in my office if you would like.”

“Oh certainly, thank you,” said Dr. Freeman.

 

It took over an hour for the subject to regain consciousness; he had not been due for another round of electroshock for several days.    When they were summoned back into the operating room the subject was lying on the table, staring rather gormlessly at the ceiling but no longer strapped down.  Which was highly encouraging. 

“Sit up soldier,” Dr. Zola commanded him. 

The subject sat up and faced him. 

“Shut your right eye and tell me what this is,” Dr. Zola ordered him, holding his hand out to the left.

“A pen,” said the subject.

“Shut your left eye and tell me what this object is,” Dr. Zola said.

“A vision test is unnecessary –“ Dr. Freeman started, but Zola shushed him.

“That’s a cup,” said the subject, who didn’t respond to the arguing at all.

“Stand up and dress yourself,” Dr. Zola said.  And the subject did. 

Dr. Zola turned to his collegue, “you have done good work for Hydra today Dr. Freeman,” he said.

**Author's Note:**

> Unfortunately Dr. Freeman and Dr. Moniz are both real historical figures. 
> 
> Dr. Moniz developed the surgical frontal leukotomy to treat mental illness. He really was awarded the Nobel prize for this in 1949, he was shot by a patient (not one he had operated on) in the same year. Dr. Freeman developed the transorbital (icepick) lobotomy based on the leukotomy. The icepick lobotomy wasn't surgical, so it could be performed en masse in mental asylums without surgical facilities. ECT really was used in place of anaesthetic. Lobotomies were performed on about 40,000 people in America.
> 
> Frontal lobotomy has no effect on mental illness symptoms, but makes patients docile and easily controlled. The first study showing this was done in 1949. Both Dr. Moniz and Dr. Freeman had long successful careers. The lobotomy finally fell out of use when the first antipsychotics were produced, creating an easier option. 
> 
> Unfortunately there was probably never an evil Nazi cult involved.


End file.
